Fresh and dried herbs can be substituted for one another in many recipes. However, because of their differences in moisture and flavour, they should not be substituted in equal amounts. Many recipes offer two options in their ingredients list, one for how much fresh and one for how much dried herbs to use. If not, a good general rule is that you can switch 1 teaspoon of dried herbs for 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs and vice versa. That is a 1:3 ratio of dried to fresh. Really though, it is a matter of taste. Start with small amounts, taste test, and then add more if you need it. If you are new to using culinary herbs, then their flavours may seem intense at first. For more information on culinary herbs, check out these posts on annual and perennial herbs.
This post is an excerpt from the Root Cellars Rock Food Skills Workshop on using culinary herbs. 8 workshops will be launched as part of a kit in late spring 2012, so keep an eye on the blog! For more information check out this post.
